Apparatus for conveying and spacing articles



c. H. DREHER APPARATUS FOR CONVEYINE' AND SPACING ARTICLES Fild Jan. 16.1922 2 Sheets-sheaf 1 June 5,1923.

Jun 5, 1923.

C. H. DREHER APPARATUS FOR UONVEYlNG AND SPACING ARTICLES Filed Jan. 16.1922 2 Sheets-Sheet Tvzven Patented June 5, 1923.

U HTED STATES CHARLES H. DREHER, F BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

APPARATUS FOR CONVEYING AND SPACING ARTICLES.

Application filed January 16, 1922.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES H. DREHER,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Buffalo, in the county ofErie and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements inApparatus for Conveying and Spacing Articles, of which the following isa specification.

This invention relates to an apparatus for conveying and spacingarticles with gradually increasing distances between the articles insuccessive parts of the path of the same, such an apparatus beingparticularly desirable in propelling loaves of dough through a prooferafter the same have been received from a scale and rounder and beforethey are delivered to a kneader and molder preparatory to baking thesame in an oven.

In proofers as heretofore constructed, the loaves of dough have beenconveyed through the same at a uniform rate of speed with the resultthat when two loaves of dough were deposited too close together on theconveyer in the proofer, these loaves would remain in this relativeposition and be discharged simultaneously into the kneader, therebyproducing a double loaf which necessitated again dividing and weighingthe same before going to the oven and thus ential loss of time andincrease the cost of production accordingly.

It is the object of this invention to provide a mechanism whereby theloaves of dough are conveyed through the proofer with successivelyincreasing speed and in such manner that the distance or space betweenthe loaves is increased in successive parts of their course through thesame, so that if loaves are deposited too close together on the conveyerat the inlet of the machine. the same will be spread apart a sufficientdistance by the time they reach the outlet of the same that thepossibility of two loaves entering the kneader and molder at the sametime is positively prevented, and thereby avoid the objectionabledividing and reweighing above referred to.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a side elevation of a prooferfor loaves of bread dough equipped with my invention. Figure 2 is avertical longitudinal section of the same. Figure 3 is a fragmentaryside elevation, on an enlarged scale, of the speed determining mechanismassociated with each of the conveyer belts. Figure 4 is a Serial No.529,502.

horizontal section taken on, line 4-4, Fig. 3. Figure 5 is a verticaltransverse section, on an enlarged scale, taken on line 5-5, Fig. 1,

Similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughoutthe several prises an enclosed chamber 10 which is provided in its topwith an inlet 11 through which the previously divided l imps, balls orloaves 12 of dough are delivered into the chamber by a supply chute 13from a scale and rounder while the bottom of this chamber is providedwith an outlet 14 through which thetreated lumps or loaves of dough aredischarged by a delivery chute 15 to a kneader and molder,preparatory'to being baked in an oven.

Within this chamber are arranged a plurality of conveyors 16, 18, whichpreferably have the form of endless belts or aprons and are so mountedthat each conveyer belt has an upper horizontal operative stretch and alower horizontal idle stretch. These conveyer belts are arranged in twosets or groups, the belts of one set alternating with those of the otherset, and the several belts being so disposed that the inner turns ofeach upper belt stops short ofthe outer turn of the next lower belt, andthe lower idle stretch of each upper. belt is spaced apart by ahorizontal longitudinal runway or path from the upper operative stretchof the next lower stretch through which the loaves are propelled duringthe 0 eration of proofing or treating the same. ach of the conveyerbelts passes with its outer turn around a comparatively large pulley 17and with its inner turn around a comparatively small pulley 19. Theupper and lower stretches of these conveyer belts are arrangedhorizontally, this being accomplished in the right hand set of belts byarranging the large and small pulleys 17 and 19 of each of these beltsso that their upper sides are horizontally in line and providing a deperstretch of this belt and has its underside arranged horizontally in linewith the companion small pulley. Each of the belts is so driven that itsupper operative stretch moves inwardly and in the case of an upper beltthe same moves toward the receiving turn of the belt next below thesame.

The lumps, balls or loaves of dough as they leave the scale and molderare directed by the supply chute upon the upper operative stretch of theuppermost conveyer belt and are carried by the latter inwardly anddischarged from the inner turn or tail of this belt upon the upperoperative stretch of the next lower conveyer belt which latter movesinwardly in the opposite direction from the upper- ,most conveyerbelt.Upon reaching the inner turn of'the second conveyer belt, the loaves aredropped therefrom onto the upper stretch of the third conveyer belt adacent to the receiving end of the same, whereby the loaves are againcarried in a reverse direction. In like manner the loaves are depositedsuccessively on the upper operative stretches of each of the belts fromthe tail end or turn of the belt immediately above the same, whereby theloaves are carried horizontally alternately in opposite directions andtake a zig-zag path from the top to the bottom of the machine and arefinally discharged from the delivery turn of the lowermost conveyer beltonto the discharge chute which directs the loaves to the kneader androunder, or elsewhere as desired. 7

During this course of the dough loaves through the chamber, the sameundergo the chemical action which is generally known as proofing andprepares the same for the next following operation of kneading andmolding the same into shape preparatory to entering the bake oven.

n order to prevent the operative stretches of the conveyer belts fromsagging under the weight of the loaves, these stretches are supported ontheir under sides by shelves 22 which are mounted on the main frame ofthe machine in any suitable manner. As the loaves are discharged fromthe tail end of each conveyer belt, the same are also directeddownwardly by a deflector 28 arranged on an adjacent cross bar 24 of themain frame.

Heretofore the several conveyer belts of both sets have been operated atthe same speed with the result that when two lumps of dough weredeposited too close together on the uppermost belt that the same wouldremain in this relative position during the passage of the same throughthe proofer and then be simultaneously discharged into the kneading andmolding machine, thereby producing the objectionable double lump or ballof dough previously mentioned.

In order to avoid delivering two lumps of dough at a time into thekneader and molder, means are provided whereby the loaves, lumps orballs of dough are separated progressively greater distances from eachother from the time they enter the proofer until they leave the same,thereby avoiding extra working in again dividing these double loaves andreweighing them before going to the oven.

The preferred means for accomplising this are constructed as follows:

Each of the large pulleys 17 in this in-- Upon the front end of each ofthese driven shafts is secured a driven sprocket wheel 26 which may beof any suitable construction. Each of the deflecting pulleys 20 issecured to a horizontal countershaft 27 which is journaled in suitablebearings on the main frame which is provided on its front end whichextends forwardly from the front side of the main frame with a drivingsprocket wheel 28. On that side of each driving sprocket wheel oppositeto the driven sprocket wheel 26 an idle sprocket wheel 29 is arranged,the latter being journaled on a stationary pivot or stud 30 which ismounted by a bracket 31 on the adjacent part of the main frame or wallof the machine, as best shown in Fig. 4. Motion is transmitted from eachdriving sprocket wheel 28 to the companion driven sprocket wheel 26 by aspeed determining sprocket chain belt 32 which passes with oppositeturns around the driven sprocket wheel 26 and the companion idlesprocket 29 while the intermediate part of one of its stretches passesaround the respective driving sprocket wheel 28. The several drivingsprocket wheels 28 of both sets of conveyer belts are of the. samediameter and rotated at the same speed so that the rate of travel of theseveral sprocket chain belts 32 is the same. The diameter of the drivensprocket wheels of each set are of successively smaller diameter fromthe uppermost sprocket wheel 26 to the lowermost and the diameters ofthe driven sprocket wheels 26 of both sets of conveyer belts arealternately of successively smaller diameter. For instance, the drivensprocket wheel of the uppermost conveyer belt which is arranged at theright hand side of the machine in Fig. 1 may be of a diameter to make-10 revolutions per minute, the driven sprocket which is arranged at theleft hand side of the machine for driving the conveyer belt next belowthe uppermost may be of a diameter to make 44 revolutions per minute,the driven sprocket wheelwhich is arranged at the right handside of themachine for driving the next lower conveyer belt may be of a diameter tomake 50 revolutions perminute, and so on, each successively lowerconveyer belt having a driven sprocket wheel 26 which is of smallerdiameter than the preceding upper belt. Due to this driving mechanism,the uppermost conveying belt will travel at the slowest speed, the nextlower conveyer belt will travel somewhat; faster, the third conveyerbelt from the top of the tier will travel still faster, and so on to thelowermost conveyer belt, each lower conveyer belt traveling faster thanthe one above the same.

It follows from this construction that when lumps, loaves or balls ofdough are placed too close together on the uppermost conveyer belt theseloaves upon being delivered successively on the next lower conveyer beltwhich travels at'a higher speed will cause these loaves to be spacedfarther apart on the latter as compared with the relative distancebetween these loaves while they were on the uppermost conveyer belt.because the next lower belt by reason of its greater speed gain on thenext upper conveyer belt during the interval of \time which elapsesbetween \the transfer of' one loaf to the transfer of the next loaf fromthe upper conveyer belt to the next lower conveyer belt. This gain indistance occurs upon transferring the loaves to each succeeding conveyerbelt and is progressively greater during each transferring operation sothat there is an increasing gap or space between ad acent loaves III.the 'train or stream of loaves from the time the same" are fed into theinlet of the machine to the time they are discharged fro the outletthereof. The relative speed of these con- Veyer belts is preferably suchthat when the loaves issue from the machine they are spaced apartSufliciently far that there is no liability of more than one loaf at atime being delivered from the lowermost conveyer belt onto the kneaderand molder.

Any suitable means may be employed for driving the several drivingsprockets so that the rotate in unison and at the same speed, t oseshown in the drawings being preferred and comprising a plurality ofoperating sprocket chain belts 33 arranged in two upright series andeach of which passes with its opposite turns around operating sprocketwheels 34: secured to two adjacent countershafts 37. The series ofoperating sprocket chains and wheels on each end of the machine arepreferably staggered by arranging the same alternately on opposite sidesof the plane of the speed determining sprocket chain belts and wheels,as shown in Fig. 5, so as to render the ma chine more compact anddistribute the driv ing strains more uniformly.

One of the c-ountershafts of the left hand end and one counter-shaft atthe right hand end of the machine are operatively connected so that bothsets of conveyer belts are operated in unison and atthe proper relativetiming. For this purpose, a horizontal equalizing shaft 35 is employedwhich is journaled lengthwise of the -inachine in suitable bearingsthereon and provided at its opposite ends with bevel gear pinions 36which mesh with bevel gear wheels 37 on the rear ends of the lowermostcountershafts of both sets of conveyer belts. This equalizing shaft maybe driven in any suitable manner, for instance. by an electric motor 38having its shaft provided with a gear wheel 39 which meshes with a gearwheel 40 on the equalizing shaft, as shown by dotted linesinFig. 1.

The side of the deflecting rollers 20 which engage the conveyer beltsmove in the same direction as the latter and the speed of these rollersissuch that the same have a peripheral speed as great as, and preferablygreater than the lineal speed of the conveyer belts withiwhich theyengage so that these rollers slip on these belts and thus insure holdingthe conveyer belts in proper frictional engagement with their-respectivedriving pulleys for maintaining the movequired speed.

If desired the deflecting rollers 20 may be mounted loosely on the shaft27 in which case these rollers simply operate to deflect the conveyerbelts and are turned by frictional contact with the latter.

I This driving mechanism for the conveyer belts is not only simple inconstruction and efficient in operation. but the same also effects aconsiderable economy owing to the fact that hand labor. may be dispensedwith for rearranging the loaves on the conveyer belts to avoid gettingmore than one loaf at a time into the kneader and'molder as has been thepractice in machines of this character as heretofore constructed.

I claim as my invention:

1. An apparatus of the character described, comprising an endlessconveyer belt, pulleys around which opposite turns of said belt passes,a driven sprocket wheel connected with one of said pulleys. an idlesprocket wheel, a driving sprocket Wheel arranged between said drivenand idle sprocket wheels. and a chain'helt passing with opposite turnsaround said driven and idle sprocket wheels and engaging one of itsstretches with said driving sprocket wheel.

:2. An apparatus of the character described. comprising an endlessconveyer belt. pulleys around which opposite turns of said belt passes,a driven sprocket wheel connected with one of said pulleys. an idlesprocket wheel. a driving sprocket wheel arranged between said drivenand idle sprocket wheels, a chain bclt passing with opposite turnsaround said driven and idle sprocket wheels and engaging one of itsstretches with said driving sprocket wheel. and a deflecting pulleyengaging with said conveyer belt and arranged concentrically with saiddriving sprocket wheel.

3. An apparatus of the character described. comprising a plurality ofconveyor belts arranged one above the other, and means for driving saidbelts at successively greater speeds from the uppermost to thelowermost. comprising a driven pulley supporting one turn of each ofsaid belts, a driven sprocket wheel connected with said driven pulley.an idle sprocketwheel adjacent to each driven sprocket wheel. a drivingsprocket wheel between each driven and idle sprocket wheels. a chainbelt passing around each pair of driven and idle sprocket wheels and inengagement with the adjacent driving sprocket wheel. and means foroperating the several driving sprocket wheels in unison. 4

4. An apparatus of the character described. comprising a plurality ofconveyor belts arranged one above the other, and means for driving saidbelts at succemively greater speeds from the uppermost the lowermostcomprising a driven pulley supporting one turn of each of said belts, adriven sprocket wheel connected with said driven pulley, an idlesprocket wheel adjacent to each driven sprocket wheel, a drivingsprocket wheel between each driven and idle sprocket wheels. a chainbelt passing around each pair of driven and idle sprocket wheels and inengagement with the adjacent driving sprocket wheel, and means foroperating the several driving sprocket wheels in unison. the severaldriving sprocket wheels being of the same diameter and the severaldriven sprocket wheels being of progressively smaller diameter from theuppermost to the lowermost.

5. An apparatus of the character described, comprising a plurality ofconveyor belts arranged one above the other, and means for driving saidbelts at successively greater speeds from the uppermost to thelowermost, comprising a driven pulley supporting one turn of each ofsaid belts, a driven sprocket wheel connected with said driven pulley,an idle sprocket wheel adjacent to each driven sprocket wheel, a drivingsprocket wheel between each driven and idle sprocket wheels, a chainbelt passing around each pair of driven and idle sprocket wheels and inengagement with the adjacent driving sprocket wheels, and means foroperating the several driving sprocket wheels in unison, comprisingoperating sprocket wheels connected with the driving sprockets, andchain belts each passing around two adjacent operating sprocket wheels.

(3. A machine of the character described, comprising a chamber having aninlet at the top for the material to be conveyed and treated and anoutlet at the bottom for this material after the same has been actedupon, a plurality of endless conveyer belts or aprons arranged one aboveanother in a vertical tier, each belt having a horizontal upperoperative stretch and a lower idle stretch, pulleys supporting theopposite turns of each belt, said belts being arranged in two sets, thebelts of one set alternating with those of the other set and each beltof one set having its discharge turn arranged at a distance from thereceiving turn of the next lower belt of the other set, a drivensprocket wheel connected with a pulley supporting one of the turns ofeach belt, the driven sprocket wheels of each set of belts beingprogressively smaller in diameter from the uppermost to the lowermost ofthe respective set, an idle sprocket wheel arranged adjacent to eachdriven sprocket wheel. a chain belt passin around the driven sprocketwheel of eac belt and an adjacent idle sprocket wheel, .driving sprocketwheels of like diameter engaging with said sprocket chains, and adriving gearing for turning the several driving sprocket wheels at thesame speed.

7. A machine of the character described, comprising a chamber having aninlet at the top for the material to be conveyed and treated and anoutlet at the bottom for this material after the same has been actedupon,

a plurality of endless conveyor belts or aprons arranged one aboveanother in a vertical tier. each belt having a horizontal upperoperative stretch and a lower idle stretch. pulleys supporting theopposite turns of each belt, said belts being arranged in two sets, thebelts of one set alternatin with those of the other set and each belt 0one set havin its discharge turn arranged at a distance from thereceiving turn of the next lower belt of the other set, a drivensprocket wheel connected with a pulle supporting one of the turns ofeach be t, the driven sprocket wheels of each set of belts beingrogressively smaller in diameter from the uppermost to the lowermost ofthe re- Hill spective set, an idle sprocket Wheel arranged c for turningthe several driving sprocket wheels at the same speed. belt gearing foroperating the conveyer belts of each set in unison, and spur gearing forcausing the belt gearing of both sets of conveyer belts to work inunison.

8. A machine of the character described, comprising a chamber having aninlet at the top for the material to be conveyed and treated and anoutlet at the bottom for this material after the same has been actedupon, a plurality of endless conveyer belts or aprons arranged one aboveanother in a vertical tier, each belt having ahorizontal'upper operativestretch and a lower idle stretch, pulleys supporting the opposite turnsof each belt, said belts being arranged in two sets, the belts of oneset alternating with those of the other set and each belt of one sethaving its discharge turn arranged at a distance from the receiving turnof the next lower belt of the other set, a driven sprocket Wheelconnected with a pulley supporting one of the turns of each belt, thedriven sprocket wheels of each set of belts being progressively smallerin diameter from the uppermost to the lowermost of the re-' spectiveset. an idle sprocket wheel arranged adjacent to each driven sprocketwheel, a chain belt passing around the driven sprocket wheel of eachbelt and an adjacent.

idle sprocket wheel. driving sprocket wheels of like diameter engagingwith said sprocket chains, an operating sprocket wheel connected witheach driving sprocket wheel, an opcrating chain belt connecting adjacentoperating sprocket wheels of each set of conveyer belts, bevel gearwheels connected with corresponding driving sprocket wheels of both setsof convcyer belts-and an equalizing shaft provided with bevel gearpinions meshing with the bevel gear Wheels of both sets of conveyerbelts.

CHARLES H. DREHER.

